Hope Brokers Becomes a Sponsor of WLGS 101.5 FM

Hope Brokers has partnered with WLGS 101.5 FM, a radio ministry of Calvary Chapel of Lake Villa, IL, to further it’s mission of equipping disciple-makers to start gospel movements. WLGS has an approximate reach of 250,000-500,000 residents living in the NE Illinois and SE Wisconsin areas. It also has a global reach through its online streaming. Tony Raymond, Executive Director of Hope Brokers said “We are pleased to partner with WLGS 101.5 FM as we explore new ways of equipping local churches and individuals with the tools and methods needed to reach their neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

2021 Ministry Highlights

I am pleased to report that, by God’s grace, Hope Brokers ministry grew substantially in 2021. Here are the highlights:

  • We were able to provide coaching and training on Disciple-making Movements (DMM) and the Discovery Bible Study (DBS) method to over 50 people in China, Egypt, India, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. I have also been introduced to a disciple maker in Sudan as well.
  • We developed a training tool using our new podcast platform that gives disciple makers a guide to developing their personal testimony and presenting the gospel message using their hand. This recording is now available in English and 7 other languages. We rejoiced in the first person who came to Christ through the use of this evangelistic tool.
  • Through our disciple-making team in India, we were able to see the first DMM started. A DMM is defined as a network of 100+ small groups and at least 3 generations deep. Keep praying that the Lord would sustain the 61 new believers there and that the multiplication would continue through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • With the generous support of churches and individual donors, we were able to give four times more support to our indigenous leaders than in 2020.
  • This financial support enabled teams to travel to remote villages to share the gospel and host Discovery Workshops. It enabled these teams to pay for fuel, food, medical care, bathroom construction and home repair projects, blankets for widows, school supplies and bibles.
  • Through a generous gift from a local church, we commissioned our first Hope Well. See video below showing a similar well. The new well has opened doors to the gospel with neighbors who were previously hostile to believers.
  • These financial gifts also enabled the team to give income-generating gifts to widows such as sewing machines and goats.

Praise the Lord for His abundant provision and thanks to our ministry partners for their kind support and prayers! Continue to pray for new gospel movements to start through the power of His Holy Spirit.

Please consider sharing this update with anyone that may be interested in joining us as a ministry partner.

Become a Ministry Partner

As we close out this year, I want to share some of the pictures that are coming in from India as they celebrate Christmas there.

In His Service,

Brother Tony

Personal Testimony and Gospel Presentation Tool

A few months ago, a friend shared some ideas with me on how to develop a personal testimony and present the gospel using one’s left hand as a visual. It was fairly basic and seemed useful but, at the time, I was working on starting the Creation to Christ DBS series and my thinking was that someone going through the series would discover God through the readings and discussion and eventually understand the basic principles of the gospel as they unfold. What I failed to anticipate is that some may be ready to hear the gospel message and, in that case, my testimony and gospel presentation may be needed sooner.

Later, while I was recording the podcast for the story of Noah’s flood, my observations were that 1) God had a detailed plan of salvation for Noah and his family (the ark), 2) that God made a covenant/promise (to refrain from destroying the world with a flood), and 3) God provided a sign/seal that was a reminder of his promise (the rainbow).

These three observations were foreshadowing of 1) God’s plan of salvation for the world (through Jesus), the new covenant/promise (to give us eternal life), and 3) God’s seal (through His Holy Spirit). These connections brought my attention back to the need for a prepared testimony and an easy-to-remember gospel presentation, so I went back to the ideas shared with me and recorded this podcast episode. The objective of this recording is to serve as a training tool to help others develop their personal testimony and present the gospel in a clear and concise manner.

Note: To download the training aid provided by AIM Trainers, please click on the Notes link under the podcast player above.

Arabic Version

Chinese Version

English Version

French version

Hindi version

Spanish Version

Malayalam Version

Zomi version

How to Encourage Hunger for God in Others

A good friend asked me a deep question and it got me thinking: “Do you think there’s anything we can do as ministers to encourage or provoke [spiritual] hunger?”

My initial response was “Serve them in tangible ways and pray that the Holy Spirit draws them” but felt that the answer lacked something.

I wanted to dive a bit deeper and came across a blog by Hal Chaffee and he gave a great answer in his article, 4 Steps for Developing Spiritual Hunger, so I thought I would share excerpts here:

Here is the reason that so many do not hunger: they are filled. They are filled with all of the sparkly things of this world and have no room for God.

Hal Chaffee

Chaffee reminds us of the parable of the sower in Mark 4 and how the cares and temptations of this world choke out the Word of God.

“Three of the four types of soil were bad ground, with the third type being FULL of thorns. The seed was planted, and it started to grow, but it was choked to death. Why? Because the heart that it was sown into was filled up with junk. The seed was good, it was even starting to grow, but it was crowded out by the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things.”

Chaffee gives some practical steps to developing a hunger for God:

  1. Repent – anything that you love more than God is an idol. Do you desire it over God? Repent. Then destroy it, burn it, smash it – whatever you must do – do it.
  2. Replace – Don’t leave an empty void after smashing an idol. Replace your sin with service to God – service in prayer, reading the Word, reading good books, going to services, meeting with godly people, etc.
  3. Re-focus – Purposely set your mind on the things of God – do not let it wander. You will begin to feel passionately about whatever you direct your attention toward. Take control of your mind and put it on God. (Col 3)
  4. Rewind – go back to your first works, the ones you did when you first fell in love with Jesus. Do them again, even if you don’t feel as you did then. Doing them again will help to re-kindle the flame. (Rev 2:4-5).

These are very helpful suggestions for those who are believers and lack hunger, but what about those who lack hunger and have not heard the Good News?

When Jesus sent out the 72 disciples in Luke 10:8-11, He instructed them to go to go ahead to villages that He was planning on visiting, and if they were welcomed, to eat with the residents, heal the sick and call them to repentance. He also gave instructions to warn those that did not welcome them (in other words, were not spiritually hungry).

So, a more complete answer to my friend’s question is that ministers can encourage and provoke hunger by prayerfully serving others in tangible ways and calling them to repentance. If they turn from their sins, then the minister can, through the power of the Holy Spirit, help them to clear away the thorns in their life and nurture the seed of God’s word to bear fruit for His Kingdom.

Apollos Watered Podcast: Deep Conversations with Dallas Jenkins – What is it that is so special about the Chosen?

The Chosen has taken the world by storm. It enables us to see things from the perspective of those who knew Him. We can find ourselves in the story and see how their stories make sense. Dallas has tapped into our imagination and desire to see and know more. How did they start to follow Jesus? What was it about Him that would make them follow when He gave the invitation? Dallas has created a world that is not far removed but is close up. What is it that draws us in? What is special about it? How is God using it? What are the critics saying? Join Travis as he speaks with Dallas Jenkins about The Chosen and how he crafted it the way that he did. Listen in as they talk about why people love it, the challenge of expanding on the greatest story ever known, the criticisms that come, and Dallas super power! Happy listening!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/39183d81-6ece-403b-8158-1173bee44968